CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
Almost all dwarves, even the girls (though there's are but stubble) are born with a beard. Barechin was not, hence his name and the ridicule he faced his whole dwarf life. It did not help matters that Barechin was smaller and less hardy than the average dwarf, he was not good with an axe and would be little use in battle, other than as goblin-fodder. Yet there were dwarves weaker than he, and fatter, and many even worse at handling the axe, yet they didn't not receive half the abuse Barechin did. It was all about his beard, he knew. A deep resentment built up inside him, though above all else he wanted to be accepted by his father, a powerful member of the dwarf ruling council.
It was while Barechin was writing poetry that his father sent for him, after ignoring him much of his life. Barechin was a good writer, though it was little valued among the dwarves. Yet his poetry (which was often political and criticised the dwarf council) was popular with many of the younger dwarves. Barechin distributed it anonymously, for there were fer who would have read it knowing he was the writer.
Barechin's father looked as him in disgust, the only way he ever looked at him, as Barechin entered his chamber. "You're LATE!" said his father, even though this was not true at all. Barechin said nothing, he knew there was no point. "I'm not going to lie to you, Barechin, you have ever been a disappointment to me. You are weak and you have no beard. Your mother should have drowned you at birth. Be that as it may, I have a chance for you now, a chance for you to prove yourself."
Barechin was eager to hear what this was. He had shown his father some of his poetry years ago, perhaps his father was finally ready to admit that it was good? "I only which to be a good son to you, father."
"Bah! I doubt it. But perhaps you shall be. A troll has entered the lower levels of the city. It is small, not much larger than the tallest dwarf of the land. Any dwarf warrior could easily slay it. I want you to kill it, son. Prove to me that you are a man."
"But this...any dwarf could do this...any warrior...you know I'm not...I thought maybe you'd want me to prove myself by doing something I'm good at!"
"What? Like trying to incite riots with your traitorous poetry? Yes, I know it is you who writes it, don't look so surprised, you fool. If you fail in this mission I will tell the council that you wrote and distributed the poetry and you will be put to death. LEAVE. NOW. GUARDS. TAKE HIM TO THE LOWER LEVELS. RRRRARGH!"
Barechin was dragged away, with no choice in the matter, handed an axe and tossed down into the dark. It was not long before the troll showed up.
"You?" it laughed. "They send you to stop me? You and what army?"
"Me and...AND MY AXE!" said Barechin, swinging it. It flew from his hands and landed at the troll's feet.
"HAHAHA!"
"You're...you're not so big!" said Barechin, though to him the troll looked a giant.
"No? Watch this," said the troll. Then it drank from a potion and grew to a size more than ten times its original size. It really was a giant now. Barechin backed away in fear. He had to warn the others. A small troll could be easily handled, but one this size could do serious damage...
"You...you could nearly destroy the city all by yourself!" said Barechin.
"That's right!" said the troll. "I know I shall die, but it shall be a glorious death. I'll kill your great leaders, the dwarf council!"
It was then that Barechin made his decision.
"On your own, you will die," he said. "But with another giant fighting beside you, you could kill them all and rule the city!"
"But there is no other giant," said the troll. "I am alone, shunned by my people."
"There's me," said Barechin, smiling. "Give me what remains of the potion and together we shall slaughter them all!"
"You...you really mean it!" said the troll, seeing the hate in Barechin's eyes.
"Yes!" said Barechin, and he did. There was nothing he wanted more than to kill the council. Kill his father The troll smiled and handed Barechin the potion. He drank and grew to a size even larger than the troll.
"Come! Kill them all!" said the troll, turning his back and walked towards the heart of the city.
Barechin snapped the troll's neck from behind.
"There's nothing I want more," said Barechin, sadly. "But they're still my people, whether than shun me or not. They may have littled love for me, but I'm still a dwarf at heart, through and through."
He shrank back down later, but the troll did not and all were astonished as to how Barechin had managed to kill one so large.
"It was nothing," he said. "I just used the brain inside my beardless head."
His father nodded out of respect. And, when he woke the next morning, Barechin chin's felt itchy. He went to the mirror...and found he had grown a full beard.
It was while Barechin was writing poetry that his father sent for him, after ignoring him much of his life. Barechin was a good writer, though it was little valued among the dwarves. Yet his poetry (which was often political and criticised the dwarf council) was popular with many of the younger dwarves. Barechin distributed it anonymously, for there were fer who would have read it knowing he was the writer.
Barechin's father looked as him in disgust, the only way he ever looked at him, as Barechin entered his chamber. "You're LATE!" said his father, even though this was not true at all. Barechin said nothing, he knew there was no point. "I'm not going to lie to you, Barechin, you have ever been a disappointment to me. You are weak and you have no beard. Your mother should have drowned you at birth. Be that as it may, I have a chance for you now, a chance for you to prove yourself."
Barechin was eager to hear what this was. He had shown his father some of his poetry years ago, perhaps his father was finally ready to admit that it was good? "I only which to be a good son to you, father."
"Bah! I doubt it. But perhaps you shall be. A troll has entered the lower levels of the city. It is small, not much larger than the tallest dwarf of the land. Any dwarf warrior could easily slay it. I want you to kill it, son. Prove to me that you are a man."
"But this...any dwarf could do this...any warrior...you know I'm not...I thought maybe you'd want me to prove myself by doing something I'm good at!"
"What? Like trying to incite riots with your traitorous poetry? Yes, I know it is you who writes it, don't look so surprised, you fool. If you fail in this mission I will tell the council that you wrote and distributed the poetry and you will be put to death. LEAVE. NOW. GUARDS. TAKE HIM TO THE LOWER LEVELS. RRRRARGH!"
Barechin was dragged away, with no choice in the matter, handed an axe and tossed down into the dark. It was not long before the troll showed up.
"You?" it laughed. "They send you to stop me? You and what army?"
"Me and...AND MY AXE!" said Barechin, swinging it. It flew from his hands and landed at the troll's feet.
"HAHAHA!"
"You're...you're not so big!" said Barechin, though to him the troll looked a giant.
"No? Watch this," said the troll. Then it drank from a potion and grew to a size more than ten times its original size. It really was a giant now. Barechin backed away in fear. He had to warn the others. A small troll could be easily handled, but one this size could do serious damage...
"You...you could nearly destroy the city all by yourself!" said Barechin.
"That's right!" said the troll. "I know I shall die, but it shall be a glorious death. I'll kill your great leaders, the dwarf council!"
It was then that Barechin made his decision.
"On your own, you will die," he said. "But with another giant fighting beside you, you could kill them all and rule the city!"
"But there is no other giant," said the troll. "I am alone, shunned by my people."
"There's me," said Barechin, smiling. "Give me what remains of the potion and together we shall slaughter them all!"
"You...you really mean it!" said the troll, seeing the hate in Barechin's eyes.
"Yes!" said Barechin, and he did. There was nothing he wanted more than to kill the council. Kill his father The troll smiled and handed Barechin the potion. He drank and grew to a size even larger than the troll.
"Come! Kill them all!" said the troll, turning his back and walked towards the heart of the city.
Barechin snapped the troll's neck from behind.
"There's nothing I want more," said Barechin, sadly. "But they're still my people, whether than shun me or not. They may have littled love for me, but I'm still a dwarf at heart, through and through."
He shrank back down later, but the troll did not and all were astonished as to how Barechin had managed to kill one so large.
"It was nothing," he said. "I just used the brain inside my beardless head."
His father nodded out of respect. And, when he woke the next morning, Barechin chin's felt itchy. He went to the mirror...and found he had grown a full beard.
